Become a Creator today!Start creating today - Share your story with the world!
Start for free
00:00:00
00:00:01
Real Madrid vs Atalanta Preview: UEFA Super Cup Final Lineups, Team News, Predictions & Much More (Bonus Episode)
1.6k Plays1 year ago
The 2024 UEFA Super Cup final between Champions League winners Real Madrid and Europa League winners Atalanta takes place on Wednesday 14 August at 21:00 CET in Warsaw at the National Stadium.
Carlo Garganese and Nima Tavallaey preview the big game. We look at the probable XIs, injuries and suspensions, and break down the game tactically before offering our predictions.
Will the Real Madrid Galacticos of new transfer signing Kylian Mbappe, Jude Bellingham and Vinicius Jr win another trophy or will Gian Piero Gasperini and Ademola Lookman’s Atalanta produce another shock?
This is an extra bonus episode of The Italian Football Podcast available for free on Spotify, Apple Podcasts and Google podcasts.
To NEVER miss an episode of The Italian Football Podcast (as well as support the show), go to Patreon.com/TIFP or on Spotify to become a Patron for only $2.99 USD per month (excluding VAT).
Recommended
Transcript
Preview: Real Madrid vs Atalanta
00:00:02
Speaker
Welcome to the Italian football podcast. Hello everybody and welcome to the Italian Football Podcast special preview of Real Madrid versus Atalanta in the 2024 UEFA Super Cup Final. The big game is on Wednesday in Warsaw at 2100 CET. The traditional curtain-raiser to the European season between the Champions League winners Real Madrid and the Europa League winners Atalanta and NIMA.
How did Atalanta become a formidable opponent?
00:00:35
Speaker
um This game really demonstrates just what a miracle Atalanta have done in the in the last 5-10 years under the Picasso family and Gianpiero Gasparini the coach. i mean We're talking about a provincial team with with, the you know, the financial resources, the budget, the salary ah bill of a of a relegation team in the Premier League ah last well from last season anyway. and And the fact that they are competing in the UEFA Super Cup final against the the the the most successful team and in and in football history around Madrid.
Military Time: Joke or Strategic?
00:01:13
Speaker
I mean, it's I think as Gasparini said, said himself, it's a very proud day and ah and a proud moment for Atlanta and and
00:01:20
Speaker
and really ah a miracle really, if you're if we're looking at things from a financial point of view. I'm particularly loving the fact that you refer to 9pm Central European time as 2100 hours. Like you're in the military. that's not read lots of don't Listen, don't boo me out with this. I'm not booing at 2100. No, that is used that is regularly used by people, so I'm not having any of that.
00:01:47
Speaker
2100 I've never heard that honestly I've heard 9
What are Atalanta's recent achievements?
00:01:51
Speaker
p.m. and it would never 2100 unless we're talking like a military exercise it's not a boomer it's just very just a bit different um things that amuse youyma yes they do I was like 2100 CET yes at 2100 CET we will see um on Wednesday night we'll see a tiny provincial site from Bergamo who have normalised doing things that shouldn't be they shouldn't be able to
The Secret to Atalanta's Success
00:02:24
Speaker
do. i mean There's punching above your weight and then there's continuously doing things that are genuinely almost impossible.
00:02:33
Speaker
Um, I firmly still believe that had they had the beaten, uh, PSG, they were in there during that COVID season, they were two minutes away. They would have gone to the final of the Champions League. Um, I, I, you know, the same, and now here he is again, Gasperini having renewed for the third time his Atalanta project. And they won the Europa League against the reigning Bundesliga champions or the, you know, who would one just won the Bundesliga.
00:03:02
Speaker
not losing a single game. Um, and they did it by completely smashing them. Um, and now they're in the European super cup final. I didn't interview Fabio Genari who radio La Dea and covers Atlanta for, uh, photo to sport where he was talking about, you know, this is, this is the dream. We were in a dream right now. The entire city is in a dream. Um, you know,
00:03:29
Speaker
for for Real Madrid the European Super Cup doesn't mean anything but for Atalanta it's huge and go and go check that interview out it's it's on it's free and on all platforms it was a Mercator deep dive but no it's it's truly truly remarkable um ice you know they what they've done it just goes to show that if you have competent people in the right positions um and you have a uniform structure And and you bring in the right coach the right sporting director you have you know, you're competent in your scouting You can do amazing things even with very scarce resources and even you know And and it's it's truly remarkable because Atlanta now are one of the top teams in Europe I mean, it's crazy, but they consistently play in Europe.
Overcoming Challenges: Injuries & Tough Start
00:04:18
Speaker
They've won European trophies ah they were in the quarterfinal the Champions League not too long ago and You know, this is they they continuously turn a profit. They have a new stadium that they've just finished building. um It's it really is the stuff of dreams. It's the kind of stuff that, you know, you play football manager, you take a small team and you make them bigger, you know, but but but for real in real life. um And it's truly unbelievable. It really is unbelievable. And it's a momentous occasion for them.
00:04:48
Speaker
Um, but I, I, I just, um, you know, it's, it's for for real Madrid. It's just another Wednesday afternoon or Wednesday evening. Yeah. I mean, from, from Atlanta, I mean, I think also for football, it's a victory for football, like in an era where it's almost impossible to win in club football without money, a club who are, are always profitable. They never spend what they don't have. They don't run up debts and, and take out loans and get bails out bailouts like the big three in, in Serie A do.
00:05:18
Speaker
um They have an incredible scouting and and recruitment ah network. They improve and they develop players. They give their young players that come through the system exactly a chance as well. They don't just use them for plus for lens again, like the big three teams do. They have the best youth system in Italy. They play and they play progressive, positive football. And what they also do is if you look at it, you know, people talk about the, i you know, the Atlanta system and players succeeded at Atlanta, but not elsewhere. Well, well Yeah, because they have a coherent red thread that runs through all the way from the Puccini all the way up to the first team where they identify scout and bring in players that suit their system, their identity, how they want to play football. And that's why they give young players a chance. It's not out of some sort of desperation. It's because they have a clear identity of what they want to do all the way down, all the way up at all levels of the club.
00:06:17
Speaker
And they, and they apply it. And so they look for young players that can suit that system. And when they do, they have the know-how and, and, and, and ability to nurture them and allow them to grow both on and off the pitch. You know, it's both of those things are almost equally as important if we're honest. And then they know if they, because of their scouting, they also know that if they find players like.
00:06:41
Speaker
uh Diallo or or or Kulosevsky that don't suit their system but they will you know they they just send them on they sell them for a profit uh if they don't suit the the first team system um and if they do they play them and then they sell them off for it for even bigger money like we saw with Rasmus Holland to to United you know it's it's it's it's incredibly well-run club um and then they also buy players who suit their system um sco scouting really well I mean, it'll be a lot of Tori. I think he's going to be very good if he stays. I didn't want to look. Look, man, was was was was unbelievable last season. Scamaka was great for the last four, three or four months of the season. I mean, now, of course, he's injured. But, you know, they're very good at finding the right players um for their system at all of all ages.
00:07:30
Speaker
Yeah, they they
Atalanta's Transfer Market Moves
00:07:31
Speaker
certainly are. Having said that though, going into what should be a very proud ah you know moment and match for Atalanta and the most important game in their history, um as both Picasso and Gasparini have said,
00:07:46
Speaker
um The shine and the excitement and enthusiasm for this match has been taken away, really, let's be honest, because of this crisis start to the new season, in particular with regards to to injuries. Gamaka torn ACL ah last week, um having already seen s Scalvini tear his AC out at the end of last season. So these plays are basically going to miss this season. And Skamaka will be back towards the end of the season. Toon Cookminers refusing to play and he's on the transfer list and likely to complete his move to Juventus now. And then new sign in Zagnolo already injured and having to have a specialist have a look at his foot following on from the injury
00:08:35
Speaker
that caused him to miss the the the Euros. It looks like he'll miss the game, but that's already a little bit of a concern if they're already getting specialists involved looking at him. Gasparini has come out and said publicly that the team is not as competitive as last season.
00:08:51
Speaker
um and it it's Yeah, it's it's yeah we we thought that, you know, Atlanta could could push on from last season and certainly go into this game with lots of enthusiasm and hoping to win. And now it's just kind of, you know, that's all been taken away, really, hasn't it? Yeah, it has um to a certain extent. Yes, um I think the two the cup minus situation, I don't think Atlanta have handled well. They're usually very good at these situations, but this they've not handled that well at all.
00:09:23
Speaker
But they will learn from it, I think. um there If anything, it's a club that always learns from its mistakes, um the few of the ones it makes. it's got a very um They have a very they have a they have a an aura about them, they have a system about them of handling crises that, okay, what happened here? They, they do their analysis and then they're like, okay, this happened this time. What can we learn from it? They should have, you know, they should have tried to get rid of coop miners earlier. And similarly to what they've done before, when Italian clubs, big clubs have come calling, they've managed to leverage the interest from other clubs in the premier league to their favor this time around. They haven't been able to do that at all, um, for whatever reason. And so.
00:10:13
Speaker
they're very, they they you know, they they need to learn what happened here, but they need to solve this because they can't have the situation and they need to bring in the replacement if they want to bring one.
Real Madrid's New Signings & Strategy
00:10:21
Speaker
But I've got to say, I mean, I, you know, Retegi coming in to replace Kamaka, I think that's a smart signing. I thought to me that that's Atalanta landing on their feet. They're bringing in a player who is yet to fully explode in this area and putting him in a system where I think he will score lots of goals, lots of goals.
00:10:41
Speaker
um And I think with the players around him, if it's the Kettler, Lukman, you know, it's I really think they they can, I think he's going to score quite a few for them. Maybe not already against Real Madrid, because I mean Real Madrid or Real Madrid are the reigning European champions.
00:11:01
Speaker
ah best team in the world um probably and at club level at least and so but I think they've kind of landed on their feet yes I kind of agree with with the Gasparini that maybe they're not as competitive as last season but I don't think they're that far off fun on yeah i mean We'll see with litigy i mean i've honestly from what I've seen, from what ahve we've watched the retiy in the last year, he he comes across as a very limited player, technically outside the area, linking up with his team-mates, which is kind of, I think, important, very important for Atalanta. He's obviously very good in the box and he's a very good finisher.
00:11:41
Speaker
um I'm a little bit surprised. He doesn't strike me as an Atalanta player, but but we'll see you know what Gasparini can do with him um and how he uses him. Gasparini clearly isn't impressed by the transfer market that Atalanta have had. I mean, he basically admitted that. Bed Godfrey, Ibrahim, Sulimano, Retiki,
00:12:03
Speaker
they don't strike me as players to take Atalanta forward, I have to be honest with you, but then we'll see what who else, I think they're going to bring in Pubil, the right sided, right full bat, and then we'll see who they replace Koopmeiners with, maybe O'Reilly from Celtic, who I know it's very, very highly rated, so we'll see with those two whether they can ah be the kind of players, but the the players they've signed so far, ah yeah, they haven't impressed me personally so much, but we know what Atalanta can do with players, they can raise the level of players that I can understand why Gasparini is disappointed and because I think that i mean he even said himself at the end of last season um that he'd been basically been promised that they would spend and they would make the team better and they would be in a position to challenge for the Skeletor. Obviously injuries have the probably ended that that opportunity with Skamaka's injury for sure, but but I still think from the transfer market, I haven't been impressed. I don't think there are these aside.
Tactical Adjustments for Real Madrid's Stars
00:13:02
Speaker
They haven't made sign ins of a team that are going to try and challenge for the biggest trophies and move on to the next level so far. And I think that's what reflects his frustration. They certainly haven't signed a player like Keeling Mbappe, who is about to make his debut. Well, certainly going to make his debut for Real Madrid in this game. We'll see whether it's from the start or whether it's from the bench. And and this is the biggest story of the game for Madrid and for neutrals. He, of course, moved from PSG on a free transfer.
00:13:31
Speaker
I mean, neverma what a sign this is for Madrid. I mean, Madrid, if they weren't already strong enough with Vinicius Junior, with Bellingham, all the other superstars they have, they now sign Mbappe, they sign Endrick. And then not to mention they also have Arda Guler, you know, ah who's another ah future one. Well, he is a wonder kid, a future potential future superstar. Rodrigo, I mean, I mean, they're building a super team, aren't they, Madrid?
00:14:00
Speaker
They are building Galacticals. There's no doubt about that. If you look at what they've already got, what's coming in, what has come in and what could come in in the future, um it it's obvious they're they're building a they're building in complete super team. There's no doubt about that. And they're they're building a Galactical team to dominate like they did with um when they had the other Galactical eras.
00:14:26
Speaker
um when they had with the Cristiano Ronaldo era, which was that in and of itself, four Champions Leagues and in in five years, was was you know we never thought that would be possible again. But Real Madrid at this level, that you know with with with their with president Florentino, um you know he the ability to to build mega stars and to get everyone to work together and understand that at Real Madrid, Real Madrid is the biggest, you know, you're, you're just, you're part of something bigger. And, and you who you've seen, we've seen them do that with the absolute biggest players in the world. Um, I think one of the problems Kylian Mbappe had at PSG was that I don't think anyone dared to put him in his place and he he got to dominate too much. That's not going to happen at Real Madrid. He's going to be te treated like a star. Don't get me wrong.
00:15:20
Speaker
But at Real Madrid, Real Madrid is the most important thing. um And Caroline Cellotti is fantastic at building groups and players and creating squads. Everyone who's worked with him loves him. Zlatan says he's probably one of the ah one of the best coaches he's ever had as a character. um So no, it's um eighty they are they are they are definitely the team to beat.
00:15:48
Speaker
no doubt about that and it's going to be interesting to see how how it goes from here now. Yeah I think i think what's going to be interesting is tactically for Robert Riddh how they fit Mbappe, Vinicius Junior, Bellingham in the same team and and make it work because I don't think it's going to be easy. and I think you know if they if they go 4-3-3 then the problem is who plays on the left who plays in the middle and who plays on the right because both Mbappe and Vinicius Jr both both favorite positions is on the left that's where they're both at their best
00:16:26
Speaker
neither of them like playing in the middle, especially Mbappe. He's been very public and clear about that. He doesn't want to play centre forward, not in a three for sure. um So something has to give there. Does Mbappe go on the right? He doesn't really like playing there either. and So something has to give there, plus the lack of work rate from both players. Vinicius Jr. doesn't do any tracking back and Mbappe walks like Messi and Ronaldo do when it comes to when it comes to defending from the front. um you know In modern football, you can't really carry one, let alone two players who don't who don't do any running. So do you go with a three? if you go i mean I think they'll go with a front two. I think Ancelotti will go to
00:17:06
Speaker
for a front two. He'll go, up I think he'll go 4-3-1-2 or 4-4-2. So it's a 4-3-1-2. It'll be Bellingham behind Venetius and Mbappe, but then I don't really see Bellingham as a number 10. And all he does to Lottie last season, which is why he ended up using him mostly as a false nine. I don't think Bellingham is a 10, personally.
Real Madrid's Formation Speculations
00:17:24
Speaker
Or does he go 4-4-2, which has also been ah suggested as a potential formation, in which case you have no natural width at all. If you go front two of Mbappe and and Vinicius Jr. um So there's lots of question marks, and I think it's going to be a big job for Ancelotti to try and make their work. He has shown off it, in my opinion, to be the best.
00:17:45
Speaker
in the world, maybe the best ever at getting superstars to work, not just, you know, in the dressing room, but on the pitch, he kind of knows how to, he has enough freedom, he's not an ideologue, he knows how to kind of just get them to work together. He's been the best ever for me, Ancelotti of that. So I think they've got the right manager, but I do think it's gonna be difficult for them to get them to work, in my opinion. Don't know what you think of that.
00:18:10
Speaker
Yeah, it's definitely going to be, it's going to be difficult. It's not going to be easy, but I don't think it's that, I think he'll solve it. You know, we have to, we have to remember that winning is the best way to get to, for these guys. Like if he can, um if he can continue to win,
00:18:36
Speaker
um and and and continue to dominate like they have done, um then then I think most of that most of those problems will be taken care of. um i I think even if it's not ideally perfect on the pitch, I think Mbappe, I think it'll be much more fluid than that. I wouldn't be surprised if we saw Mbappe and Vinny swapping positions or all three of them, Bellingham,
00:19:02
Speaker
Vinny and Mbappe being given the creative freedom to swap positions in a in a weird front three, if you know what I mean. I think, well, yeah, I think there will be lots of freedom for them to roam and rotate and and everything, whether it's a two or or three or whatever. It's just making it work, I think, in ah in a system also from a defensive point of view, from out of position, out of possession. You know, how how does it work?
00:19:29
Speaker
um That's going to be very interesting to see, given Mbappe and Vinny do no defensive
Team News & Lineups for the Super Cup
00:19:36
Speaker
work. um But that brings us on to the probable 11s and the team news for this game. I mean, start with Real Madrid. Their only real, their only absentee is David Alaba, who's got that long-term ACL, another player within ACL.
00:19:50
Speaker
Benningham is still not 100% due to that that obviously that shoulder injury that he had it carried into the Euros and he's been wearing a shoulder strap for for quite a while um after dislocating it and I think he's been training without it and he wants to try it without. So I think the question mark is will he start or will Goula play instead of him? and We're looking at Courtois then in defence, we're looking at Carvajal, Milleta, Rudek and Mendy.
00:20:17
Speaker
that should be pretty guaranteed. Then we're looking at Chua Mani or Camavinga alongside Modric and Valverde and then ah Bellingham or Gula and then up front we're looking at Venetius Junior And Mbappe or Rodrigo, and there are questions whether Mbappe should start, whether he's fit enough to start. um But in my opinion, I think he'll start because I think it's ah it's a landmark game, UEFA game and I think the pressure will be for him to start, the sponsors will want him to start and Mbappe will demand to start. um I think Mbappe will start. and So that's Madrid. As for Atalanta, as we said before, so many players injured and now Scamaka, Scalvini, Zagnolo,
00:21:00
Speaker
I don't know whether he will be fit. Coupe miners refusing to play. um So it will be a 3-4-2-1 for Atalanta. We're looking at Kana's second goal. Then the defence, I think Hien and Kolazinac will definitely start. And then it will probably be Godfrey or Jim City. And then Zappacosta, Deron, Edison, Rugerri I think will be the fourth in the centre of midfield.
00:21:29
Speaker
And then I think Lukman and De Keter, they will definitely start. The question will be, will it be one of them up front in a false position or will they play behind Rettigy? And if it's not Rettigy, then probably Pasalic would come in behind um with either Lukman or De Keter as a false the false nine. So that's Atalanta's team. um Predictions though, Nimmer. What are you thinking?
00:21:57
Speaker
Look, I think this is too a little bit too difficult for Atalanta. I think this is given where they've been given where they've been with in terms of like ah the summer they've had, where they are in their pre-season,
00:22:20
Speaker
You know, I think this is a, this is a little bit of a tough ask. I think Real Madrid will, you know, this is, I know it's not the most important trophy, but it is a trophy. And it's a trophy that these guys want are hoarders. They are trophy hoarders. They want to win as much as possible. Um, and I think that's what we're looking at here. So I just can't see past M. Bape and his, you know, debut, competitive debut.
00:22:52
Speaker
how how how that doesn't go down in Real Madrid's favour. I think the sheer firepower that Real Madrid have is just too much for anyone to withstand, to be honest. Yeah, I think that if you look at it in terms of play players on the pitch, on paper and with all the injuries and the mood in the camp for Atalanta,
00:23:16
Speaker
and their terrible pre-season performances and results. The Rash 3 nil by St. Paul, a 4-1 by Palmer in their last two games. And before that, they drew 2-2 with AZ. I mean, they conceded lots of goals and and and yeah, it it it's not been very good preparation. It's been terrible preparation. ah My only hope for Atalanta is that maybe they're more ready physically um because because Madrid, you know a lot of players at the Euros coming back a bit later, some of their players in the Copa America, players coming back later from those. Mbappe has only just started training with the team.
00:23:54
Speaker
and Bellingham has been you know nursing this injury. Maybe physically, Atalanta are a little bit ah little bit sharper, maybe, and maybe Real Madrid, if they start Mbappe and Vinicius, maybe they they're not quite in in tune with with the you know what the how they're going to play. It doesn't quite work, and they don't you know ah defensively do their jobs when Atalanta have the ball. so You know, that's the hope, I think, for Atalanta, because um in terms of quality, there should only be really one winner
Match Predictions & Closing Thoughts
00:24:24
Speaker
and experience. There should only really be one winner in this game. But Atalanta have shocked us many times before, so let's not completely rule them out. But I think, yeah, I think we have to go both of us with with Madrid to to to win this game.
00:24:38
Speaker
OK, there we go. And that's our our little special preview of the Atalanta versus Real Madrid game as the Italian football podcast. Obviously, good luck to Atalanta. It would be another fantastic fairy tale if they can pull off and another win. So let's hope that they can do it. But so until next time, ciao ciao.